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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

My Top Misses and Reflections

Reflections ~As I stated in my last post, 2017 was the year that I made garments that were more me, fit my lifestyle and allowed me to be creative (again) in my sewing. Cause c'mon I hacked my heart out in 2017 - shirts, dresses, and even my TNT pants pattern was hacked. So I made clothing that I loved and wear alot. I'm also getting to the place where I wear "me made" almost every day. Not top to bottom like before but I'm getting there...I'm getting there!Because I "know" who I'm sewing for now, I only had three misses for the year.I mentioned the first one in my last post. Of the five shirts I made this year, I don't love the one that got the most attention...the blue floral one ~

This one suffers from a bad fabric/embellishment choice. All of that piping is just too heavy for the rayon and causes it to droop by the end of the day. It just stretches and stretches and stretches...So it's a miss. Much to my regret and even though I haven't added it to the donate pile yet...I'm sure I will in the future...especially after I get some more shirts made.My second miss is ~

My second Turner Dress. I love the print of the fabric I chose but I don't like the ITY knit. This dress photographed well and really highlighted the print, however, I hated the way it hung on me. I never wore this dress out of the house. I just wasn't comfortable in it...and I love my other Turner Dress and wore it several times last summer. As well as the Turner Tunic - I wore it last spring and I've worn it a couple of times this fall. So it was the fabric choice - not the pattern that didn't work.My last miss is another dress - The Rivermont ~

For this one it's the silhouette. I thought I would like this shape but ultimately the dress isn't for me. There is nothing wrong with it and again it photographed well but I wasn't comfortable in it. So I gave it away to a fellow blogger. Now I loved the top and plan on making more of them but somehow me and the dress just didn't gel.Highlights of 2017 ~There were a couple of things I was especially proud of in 2017:1. Working with my fellow sewists at SewCamp at Carriage Run B&BThanks Gaylen for letting me spend the weekend sharing my sewing knowledge with some fellow sewists.

2. Writing the "Ask Carolyn" column for SEWN Magazine.This is one of the things I'm proudest of because I love sharing my sewing knowledge with fellow sewists. So thanks Michelle & Mori for letting me do my thing! And if you haven't subscribed to the magazine yet, what are you waiting for!?!

3. Several blog posts that I've written for Curvy Sewing Collective, FabricMart and the Sewcialist blogs.I so appreciate it that you think my sewing is worthy of sharing with other sewists on your blogs!Going Forward ~My motto for 2018 is "Sewing, Saving and Using what I Got!" I have so many ideas floating around in my head now that I have a direction for my sewing and I have the fabric collection to get them made. So my primary goal for 2018 is to sew with what I've got. There are a few places I want to visit with fabric stores attached to them and I need to clear some space in the sewing cave for new acquisitions. So Imma try to be stingy with my fabric pennies so I can get there.The NYC Sewcialist Soiree is the first weekend in January so I have my first party dress of the year to make......and I have a new collaboration to announce in the New Year that I'm pretty excited about.Finally ~I still love sharing my makes and talking about sewing on the blog so I will continue to do so into 2018. I know it's not a flashy blog or that I haven't made a lot of changes to it (okay I did update the header this year!) but I hope it is a comfortable place that you can come, see what I've made and talk about sewing with me and others.To my fellow sewing bloggers - I appreciate you so much and hope that you continue to blog! It's wonderful to click in and not only see the pictures of your garments but to read why you chose and did what you did! I promise to be better at leaving comments in 2018!A few pics from Christmas with the Grands! Hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays!

This is such a wonderful blog post. I’ve always appreciated your honesty . You tell is like it is whether it’s the fit, fabric or Style . You are always so willing to share your knowledge & experience . Merry Christmas -looking forward to your 2018 adventures !

MaryEllen - Merry Christmas to you and yours too! I don't know how else to be because you're always found out if you're faking the funk and it only gives your haters something else to hammer you on. So truth telling is best!

You've really highlighted perfectly how "fails" happen and often quite randomly! Successes I've found are the same. I always do a "practice" run with a new pattern just to check it for fit, fabric appropriateness, and whether it's even going to suit me (because oftentimes that can be a surprise either way too!) and sometimes that practice run is so nice I wear it all the time! Not often does that happen however, due to fit issues but it's happened. I agree with Caroline that we do with time get better with knowing what suits us, what we like to wear, and what works with the rest of our wardrobe and lifestyle.

Kathleen - you are so right cause unless you've made it in the same fabric before, it's a crapshoot on whether the fabric and pattern will merge well AND make you feel amazing at the same time! Also the great thing about experience in sewing is knowing what works for your body and sewing alot of that instead of flailing around and sewing everything and hoping for the best.

Hope your Christmas was very merry!I'm in agreement with you - it's nice to read about the thought process that goes into something that someone has made. The back story makes every garment so much more interesting.

You inspire me with every single post! I appreciate knowing that you still have "misses" too, even after your years of expertise. My 2018 goal is to organize my fabric and sewing notions- everything gets out of control and it makes me stressed. I want to get back to the joy of sewing my clothes! Merry Christmas! Enjoy your time off!

I love the idea of "using what I've got" for 2018! I too have a very large stash, and I really want to focus on sewing what I already have into wearable garments, rather than looking to add more. I've completely run out of space, so I think 2018 is a good time to pair down what I do have, use what I love, and save my pennies for something really special.

When I ramble through my shelves I realize that there are soooooo many beautiful pieces there and I just feel like it's time for them to see the light of day as a garment instead of just sitting on the shelves. I'm not saying that I'm not going to buy more, I just want to use some of what I have...and it's not like I'm going to sew it all up in 12 months time but making a dent would be nice.

I'm writing this while trying to find a comfy position after a 6.5 hour back surgery Friday....but that comfy is eluding me! I love the skirt part of that black/white ITY dress on you. Maybe you can take off the bodice and wear the skirt...I see it with a sparkly/sequin top for New Years Eve. Second thing...those are not the same grand"babies" anymore! I can't believe how much they have grown and matured in this past year. You may not be able to see for them much longer but pretty soon you can teach them to see.

Thank you so much for continuing to blog so regularly. I always enjoy your posts! My resolution for 2018 is to engage more, so I'm delurking and making it a point to tell by sewing heroes (like you!) how much I appreciate the time they put in sharing their love of sewing! I look forward to hearing all about your new collaboration!

I still cannot believe that you do not care for the black and white dress. It is one of my favorites. It fits you so well and you look so alive in it. I can understand though that if something does not feel right, you don't feel like wearing it. Have a happy 2018!

Oh, Carolyn, I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. To me we are kindred souls thinking constantly about fashion and how to interpret styles through sewing for ourselves. Yes, it is possible to dress fashionably as a fellow plus size woman. I think it's great that you only had 3 misses in 2017! Again, I thank you for sharing your wonderful blog. Karen

Carolyn, Love what you do. Some mighty fine looking grands. Do you sew for them. As a beginner sewer that's what got me less fearful to launch into memade. I hope having more time this year will let me get back to my first love Sewing nice clothes. Happy New Year